This invention relates generally to fuel burner control system and, more particularly, to a burner control system that utilizes a resistive heater element for igniting fuel emanating from a fuel burner.
The continuing interest in reduced energy consumption and increased safety has resulted in the development of safer and more fuel efficient burner control systems. Of particular note has been the extensive replacement of pilot burner systems with systems employing electronic ignitors that are energized only when main burner ignition is desired. Such electronic ignitor systems eliminate the fuel loss entailed by pilot burners during periods in which full burner operation is not required. Spark ignitors and resistive heater elements are two common mechanisms utilized to ignite fuel in electronic burner control systems. Although spark ignitors exhibit a number of desirable characteristics, resistive heating elements have certain inherent features that offer unique operational advantages. For example, a resistive heater element can establish a larger thermal mass than a conventional spark ignitor and, therefore, can provide more reliable ignition of less than optimum fuel and air mixtures. In addition, the positioning of a resistive heater ignitor with respect to a burner is less critical than that required for an analogous spark ignitor.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved burner control system that employs a resistive heater element as a fuel igniting mechanism.